Dec 31, 2006

This photo of a hooded vulture is aptly named 'Doom Watch'. If I woke up to this face peering at me through my bedroom window, I'd know that I wasn't meant to survive the day. My only hope would be to go on some quest to the netherworld to placate the Vulture Gods. I'd probably have to wrestle Cerberus or trick Anubis into granting me one wish. I hope that never happens.

Dec 30, 2006

I make it a point not to post on deformed animals. This site isn't a freakshow. But, occassionally, I do like to put the spotlight on disturbing trends, such as my post on white tigers. Lorri sent these photos of a hairless palomino foal (with mom in the bottom one). This is a sad mutation, since it results in a truncated lifespan for the afflicted horse. It is, therefore, never intentionally bred into the animal.

I'm posting on this because I thought it dovetailed nicely with an article that one of my readers, Michael, sent me. It is a New York Time's article that reports on the Japanese obsession with cute and cuddly pets. The problem with this craze is that it is fed by rampant inbreeding and puppy mills, and it results in deformed, tortured, and sickly animals.

My point is this: every new breed of animal we create invariably involves some inbreeding. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is all too often abused. Let's stay away from these Hollywood fads and bear in mind that these are living critters. For every mini chihuahua Paris Hilton carts around, there is one of its littermates that was born missing its paws, nose, or eyes, or with a brain disorder. That's not so cute.

Dec 29, 2006

You're looking at one of the only photos ever taken of a live giant squid. A team of intrepid Japanese scientists laid a lure thousands of feet down and snagged this massive specimen earlier this month.

Alas, the poor beast didn't survive the capturing process. It's for the best, though. If he had survived, and then had been released back into the wild, I'm sure the other giant squids would have roughed him up for blowing their centuries-long streak of not being seen by man. You would hate to be the first squid to blow that deal.

Dec 28, 2006

Betsy took this photo of a land iguana while visiting the Galapagos Islands. These lizards are the red-headed step child of the Galapagos; their marine relatives get all the love and attention.

Even Darwin had his hater goggles on when he commented on them: "...they are ugly animals, of a yellowish orange beneath, and of a brownish-red colour above: from their low facial angle they have a singularly stupid appearance." Sheesh, Charles. Take it easy! But the iguanas got him back. At one point, he couldn't find a place to pitch his tent because of their ubiquitous burrows. Score one for the lizards.

Dec 27, 2006

This is perhaps the most appropriately named animal on the planet. A genius named this one the 'prehistoric monster fish' (aka thallasophryne amazonica). That is its actual name. I love it! They could have gone with 'spiny fin fish', or 'ambush fish', or even 'li'l amazon'. But no, they called it as they saw it. Finally, someone with some sense.

Dec 26, 2006

Behold the bactrian camel (as opposed to the dromedary). Unlike their one-humped cousins, these animals are native to cold, mountainous climates in China and Tibet. They can carry up to 600 lbs, covering 40 miles a day without water for weeks at a time. That probably explains this guy's grimace.

I'd leave him out of the caravan today (or the zoo's morning line-up). Bad attitudes have a way of being infectious.

Dec 24, 2006

The male redback spider is drawn inexorably forward, his lady a beautiful mass of abdomen and legs. Her bulk threatens to drive him into a frenzy.

He scrambles across her web to where she waits with open appendages. Her eight eyes sparkle in the evening light. He knows where his fate lies, but he cannot withstand her.

At last they meet. They revel in the closeness, and are captivated by one another's mouthparts and palps. He somersaults his abdomen towards her mouth. She bathes him in digestive juices...

...okay, enough.

That's disgusting, and you get the picture.

Just as with several other spider species, this male won't survive the mating process. In fact, it is only as he is being dissolved by her digestive juices that he is able to mate at all. His is a one shot deal. Bad break.

Dec 23, 2006

That's right. It's been more than 365 images of ugly animals, many of them making their internet debut right here. A whole year of bats, sphynx cats, Sam, centipedes, hippos, elephant seals, matamata turtles, crocodiles, vultures, eels, deep-sea abominations, and many more.

Let me reaffirm the purpose of this blog. Cute and beautiful animals always get the spotlight. But the ugly are left in the dark, without a place to call home. This blog is devoted to them. Here the ugly critters of the world have their day in the sun, and the abominable beasts have a place to call their own. Here there is no shame, and no reason to hide.

I began this site featuring Sam, the world's ugliest dog. Let me begin year two with his possible successor (according to voters on Animal Planet). Meet Ellwood. He typifies what this blog is all about. He's proud, and rightfully so.

Of course, I'm well aware that beauty and ugly are in the eye of the beholder, and in the end I must be the final arbiter - at least for this blog. Bear in mind that we are all just having fun here. No animals are being condemned.

Thanks again to all of you. You have made this labor of love worthwhile. Come back often - I'll be rolling out new features in the weeks to come.

As always, your comments, suggestions, and submissions are always welcome.

Dec 22, 2006

I can't imagine how this prey fly must feel at this moment (I've never been an insect, or been eaten by an insect...as far as I know). First of all, it would be lame to be called a prey fly: you know you're fate lies in someone else's stomach. But then to be eaten by something called a dung fly? That's adding insult to injury.

Dec 21, 2006

Dana sent this photo she took of a cinerous vulture. It's a local at the Denver Zoo. As with too many vulture species, this one is endangered. Some estimates put their wild numbers in Europe at 200 pairs.

This bird could almost pass for pretty, since it grows more head feathers than most of its cousins. Alas, it is not to be. There's no escaping the vultureness. That trumps just about anything.

Dec 20, 2006

Mitch prompted me to do a search for this beauty, the giant isopod. When I first saw the photo I thought is was an enormous pill bug (that's rolly-polly to some of us). But, thank goodness, these crab-cousins are only found in the deep, cold waters of the Atlantic and Pacific.

This particular species, bathynomus giganteus, is an example of deep-sea gigantism. That's a phenomenon found among many abyssal invertebrates, which results in them getting huge. I'm just glad they use the terms 'deeps-sea' or 'abyssal,' because there is no reference to 'my backyard.'

Dec 19, 2006

Tawnya sent me these photos of baby cockatoos - either of the rose-crested (aka salmon-crested) or galah varieties. These birds can live for over 30 years, and they have the emotional development and needs of a three-year-old human child. They make for great pets, but you had better know what you're getting into. Do you want another toddler running--that is, flying or waddling--around?

I imagine mommy has had enough of their begging, which is possibly why she isn't in the photo. That's how it is with my own toddlers. Their begging for cookies too often resembles that of baby birds. I'm just glad I don't have to regurgitate for them. Though that might be cathartic...

UPDATE: It would seem, from multiple sources, that these birds do live to be quite a bit older--as old as 80 years. I new that was true for macaws, but didn't know that for cockatoos. Thanks, all.

Dec 18, 2006

Jack sent this feline family to me. They're kohona sphynx cats, and they remind us all of the Christmas spirit with their unconditional love for each other. They also remind me to add a nice winter coat to my Christmas list - they must be freezing. You try walking around with no clothes on, and completely shaved. Do it in private, though. We don't want to see that.

Dec 17, 2006

I began receiving thousands of extra hits on Friday and Saturday, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. All I could see was that people from all over the country were doing searches for 'ugly overload.' It wasn't until some of my beloved readers told me that Ugly Overload had been mentioned on the much prettier Cute Overload that I got my first clue.

It turns out that my blog was part of a CNN report on 'the science of cute'! Below is a screenshot from the report, and here is a link to the video. (You'll see CNN reporter Jeanne Moos doing a man-on-the-street interview to see who is cuter: a baby panda or Shiloh Jolie-Pitt).

Thanks to all of you, even Brad and Angelina (I'm sure they're huge fans of mine). I feel vindicated for devoting a site to giving ugly animals their due, for giving them some air time.

I wonder how long this crocodile was lurking in this pea-soup, only to have his cover blown for...what exactly? He's menacing something, but I can't see what.

Of course, I'm only guessing its a crocodile. After all, there are 23 species of crocodiles and their cousins. I'm not herpatologist enough to figure it out. For all i know, he could only be a hand puppet. Regardless, this confirms my natural aversion to swamps.

Dec 16, 2006

The sea cucumber is so named because of its elongated shape, not because it belongs on your salad. In fact, there is nothing appetizing about these denizens of the sea. They are scavengers and suspension feeders, who enjoy both plankton and whatever debris comes their way. Their most endearing trait is their ability to disengorge their inner organs in a gooey mess at whatever predator might want to make a meal of it. Lovely. I'll set down my breakfast now.

Don't worry about the sea cucumber that just puked up its innards. Those organs will regrow in no time. Whoopy.

Dec 15, 2006

There are a lot of pig faces to be found on the web, but you've never seen this one before. I bring you original uglies, baby.

It is believed that most pigs come from the Eurasian Wild Boar. It is also believed that while most livestock were first domesticated by nomadic peoples, the pig was domesticated by settled farmers. This is because pigs are difficult to herd and move over long distances. I think it's because Nomad Joe got a good look at one of these and thought better of it.

Dec 14, 2006

You'll find everything you hate in an insect in the potato bug. You're afraid to lift that cardboard box that's been sitting outside for too long, because there might be a potato bug lurking beneath it. You're afraid to empty your pool skimmer, because there might be a potato bug bobbing in the water. They're huge and armed with spike hind legs that they thrash you with if you pick them up.

They're also known as the Jerusalem Cricket, with is a more charming name. But don't let that fool you. They're evil. Their natural predators include birds and rodents. This is one of the few times that I am truly thankful for the rats that infest the ivy in my backyard.

Dec 12, 2006

I love this photo because it really highlights the lurking power the green moray eel has. These fish can get to be over 4 1/2 feet long. That's a lot of ugly.

I know this guy (not me), who loved scuba-diving. He (not me) used to have fun taunting morays by waving my...I mean his... hands in front of them. They would recoil and open their mouths in response. Now I know that they can deliver a nasty bite. Ah, the follies of youth.

Some baby animals are so cute, you wish they would stay babies, like kittens and puppies. But baby birds? Don't think so. Thank goodness featherless chicks come with a promise to become something much more visually appealing.

Is it even possible to identify the species of bird from this picture? I'm thinking it's a cockatoo. They tend to have the ugliest chicks.

Dec 9, 2006

This is a wonderful display of the Christmas spirit. Even ugly animals should be given gifts and shown respect. Doesn't it just warm the heart?

I wonder what this baboon is hoping is inside. Maybe some sideburn trimmers, or a toothbrush, or even a pair of pants! But the problem with these monkeys is that they are more often naughty then nice. He is probably being given the primate equivalent of a lump of coal.

Dec 8, 2006

The giraffe weevil is so named because it is known for boring into the eyeballs of giraffes to eat their...um, no. That's not why. It's the long neck these beetles have, silly!

These plant-eaters can grow to be three inches long, thanks to that long neck. They live on the island of Madagascar, along with many other ugly animals. If I were really serious about this blog I'd move there and collect my own specimens. But that's where fear and laziness come in handy; I'll be staying in California for the time being.

Dec 7, 2006

These uglies look more like something from Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class than critters you might find in your yard while gardening. But nope, they're just your average, mundane mole.

I know that most moles have fur, so I'm not sure what this pair's story is. Are they babies? Are they nudists? Are they deviants who are defying the elders of mole society? Are they genetic aberrations that should be captured and given to science for further research? So many questions.

As an interesting side note (well, as interesting as you think moles might be), they eat their own weight in food every day, and may starve to death if they go 12 hours without food. Sounds like my teenage brother.

Dec 6, 2006

The tusked weta comes in three varieties. They are native to New Zealand and endangered. The tusks aren't for biting and only the males possess them. They're used for shoving and pushing their opponents around.

If I could choose a mutant power, I might choose to have some weta traits. I wouldn't mind a nice pair of tusks for pushing people around. Plus, these guys can leap over three feet. Proportionally, that would give me, as Weta Man, quite an impressive jumping ability. But it might make me unbearably ugly. But that could be a special power in and of itself...

Dec 5, 2006

I can't imagine what this camel's breath must smell like, assuming camel drool has a stench. It's like watching a train wreck - you can't help but stare into his yawning mouth.

In the camel's defense, though, that saliva must come in useful when they have to go up to 2 weeks without water. Their humps can weigh as much as 80 lbs, and it's all fat, too. Kind of puts your belly in perspective, doesn't it?

Dec 4, 2006

I believe this is the giant red-headed centipede (please correct me if I'm wrong). These suckers get to be 8" in length and are known to be aggressive hunters. Thankfully, they aren't found in California. Rather, they inhabit Arkansas and several other nearby states in the US.

If you're looking for a way to induce vomiting, then watch some of the videos on YouTube of these centipedes eating mice. It's a great weight-loss program.

Dec 2, 2006

If I caught this while fishing I would drop my pole and abandon the sport forever. Can you imagine looking down your line and seeing one of these things looking back at you? Man am I glad these suckers stay in the deep sea.

Dec 1, 2006

I wonder what these baby alligators plan on doing to this hand once they're big enough. That guy better go flush them down the toilet.

No, don't do that. That's the making of another horror film. Or a comic book series. The guy will either have five monstrous gators hunting down for a whole movie, or else he'll become the sensei of five mutant ninja gators. It's a toss up.

Contact Us

If you have ugly animal images - be they your own pets, or images you found online - or if you have a request for certain animals you want to see profiled, let us know. Email us at ragingwombat at gmail dot com.